4 Tips to Keep Your Dental Crown Sparkling

If you’ve ever needed a dental crown, fixed bridge, or other advanced restoration, you know the process can be uncomfortable, time consuming, and costly. The last thing you want is to replace that dental restoration in just a few years. That’s why it’s so important to make sure you are carefully brushing and flossing around the dental crown repaired tooth and visiting your dentist regularly. Taking care of your dental restoration can extend its lifetime by five or ten years, so take a few extra minutes a day to care for your teeth.

1 – Kick Your Ice Chewing & Nail Biting Habits

Millions of kids and adults in the US have bad habits that include chewing and biting. If you munch on ice all day, bite your nails, chew on pen caps, or engage in any other unnecessary biting or chewing, you are increasing the risk that your dental crown (and other teeth) will be damaged.

2 – Don’t Use Your Teeth as Tools

Similar to biting habits, many people seem to think their teeth are just as good as scissors, pliers, and nutcrackers. However, this are some of the easiest ways to accidentally damage teeth. Your teeth are only tools for biting and chewing foods, so grab the right tool for any other job.

3 – Wear Mouthguards for Sports & Nightguards for Bruxism

If you participate in sports or suffer from chronic teeth grinding and clenching (bruxism), make sure to use protective mouthguards as directed. Athletic guards can be purchased from sporting goods stores or custom crafted by a dentist. Nightguards are typically recommended for bruxism sufferers, and these too can often be found in pharmacies, but the custom crafted varieties offer better protection and comfort for patients.

4 – Maintain a Great Hygiene Plan

The key to keeping a whole, healthy smile for life is to maintain your thorough daily oral hygiene routine and visit the dentist at least two times each year. Some tips to keep your smile bright include:

• Make sure you’re brushing for at least two minutes at a time. Set a timer, play a song, or find another way to track your time. Studies indicate that two minutes is the least amount of time possible to remove all of the plaque buildup.
• Floss daily using a traditional floss, flossing tool, or Waterpik. Whatever you feel most comfortable with, you are more likely to keep up with, so find a product that works for you.
• Skip your afternoon snacks to limit the amount of daily wear on tooth enamel. Every time we eat, our teeth experience an acidic attack that weakens them, and snackers are much more likely to have excessive wear. If you do want to snack, pick something tooth-friendly like cheese, nuts, or vegetables.

Meet Dr. Stec

Dr. Steven Stec and Dr. CJ Stec are two of the most skilled and knowledgeable dentists in the Grand Island area. Most importantly, our dentists and the entire Stec Cosmetic & Family Dentistry team offer attentive, friendly dental care that will keep you smiling. If you want to find out more about our office or the services we provide, check our blog regularly to stay up to date. You should also feel free to call our team anytime with questions or to schedule an appointment. Our friendly staff is always here to help.